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Original poster

How are people surviving?

107 replies

Snowbear96 · 30/09/2026 07:14

We are on a household income of 45k a year. I work term time on a support staff salary, and partner is full time on a basic salary. After all out bills have been delegated this month (inc all bills and food etc) we are left with £150 to play with. This is for days out, treats and bits and bobs for the kids. I am grateful we do have some left as I know some don’t , but how are people affording nice things like holidays? It honestly baffles me that on minimum wages people can’t love comfortable anymore.

OP posts:
LunaTheCat · Yesterday 08:17

ThisWiseRobin · 30/09/2026 07:57

Can I say that as a nearly 70 year old, my heart goes out to hardworking, double income parents who are struggling. There seems to be no end to the digging behind the sofa for spare change.
I get particularly frustrated when older folks like myself bang on about how they managed in their day etc etc.
You are both on a half decent wage in my eyes and yet the cost of living and giving children a comfortable upbringing seems to just get harder.
I guess by now, as you come across as capable, that you are already frugal. Problem is budgeting is pointless, as prices just continue to rise.
I know I'm not offering a practical solution but my utmost sympathy.
Holidays are the one thing I can maybe comment on, having never been taken on holiday as a child. There was no entertainment as such for me growing up, or my kids as we were in Namibia in the middle of a ruddy great desert, but kids are resilient and can find things to do I'm sure. I know it's hard when friends are going on sunshine holidays but hopefully they will remember being loved and cared for which is so important....with the odd bus trip to the coast maybe. Do check out travel specials for children.
More power to you my lovely.

Oh what a gorgeous comment.
i would love to know more about your upbringing in Namibia .. I am off there in April ( for my second trip to Africa) and am so excited!

Gothwife · Yesterday 08:21

Unfortunately for a family, £45k household income is not going to go far, unless you are mortgage free, no other debt etc. Only way out is to earn more or see if there are areas you can cut back. My DH works a lot of overtime and I earn ok and can earn decent bonuses time of year dependent so we save all the overtime and bonus and that pays for our holidays, trips out, etc and our base income pays our bills, food shopping, petrol etc and we have separate savings for a contingency fund (house repairs, car repairs etc) that we pay £100 a month into.

I went back to work full time after having DC and for those early years our childcare costs were double our mortgage. Now our kids are older I do wonder how we managed as we were earning less and paying a lot out.

AllezAllezPronto · Yesterday 09:14

Franjipanl8r · 30/09/2026 23:36

AI is changing careers quicker than anyone can keep up with. Simply choosing a higher paid career just isn’t as easy as it used to be, there are many industries now without enough work for the existing pool of people already trained - there would be absolutely no point retraining if the jobs aren’t there.

Show quote history

AI is going to affect many jobs but that doesn't rule out the OP considering her current job and considering how else she could earn more.

Your post is very negative.

There will always be hands-on jobs in some sectors.

But if someone has left school and has no qualifications or no higher ed, they have very limited opportunities anyway, although they could perhaps set up their own business.

AllezAllezPronto · Yesterday 09:16

Hotandpointy · 30/09/2026 22:30

Ah, up north it’s not too bad. I’d honestly consider that to be loads, it’s far more than we manage on.

@Hotandpointy The average cost of a home across the UK is almost £300K. The North skews that as property is very cheap in many areas.

AllezAllezPronto · Yesterday 09:19

beautifuldaytosavelives · 30/09/2026 23:58

I find it hilarious how many people advise additional qualifications, career changes or to ‘simply up your income’ - I strongly suspect they mean ‘increase’.

Qualifications cost money, so flawed strategy from the off. Also, one would imagine some chance of there already being some reason that the OP in any of these type of posts isn’t luxuriating in reams of qualifications.

Then the easy solution- just get a better paying job! Well I bet any OP feels like a right silly billy for not having thought of that! The jobs market is tough, and it’s even tougher when you’re trying to climb up. I could paper a small room with my qualifications, but I’m significantly under earning due to circumstances, and finding the market very hard to break.

It’s not the 90s. Wake up.

You seem a bit out of touch @beautifuldaytosavelives .
There are many jobs now where you train on an income as an apprentice. Some are the equivalent of university degrees. They will pay more at the start of training then a TA in a school.

There are also evening classes in FE for A levels/ BTEC etc, not necessarily expensive if you qualify for career change support.

No one is talking about doing a degree and paying £30K fees. There are other routes.

It comes over as if the OP is not even considering earning more, or changing her job, but simply 'stuck' with how long it will take to own a home.
The answer is they may never have one unless they increase their cincome.

I hope she might come back and at least explain their budget, how much a house costs, how much of a mortgage they need, how much more they need to save, etc and how old she is? If she is just 30-ish now and has plenty of time to improve her career.

Franjipanl8r · Yesterday 21:40

AllezAllezPronto · Yesterday 09:14

AI is going to affect many jobs but that doesn't rule out the OP considering her current job and considering how else she could earn more.

Your post is very negative.

There will always be hands-on jobs in some sectors.

But if someone has left school and has no qualifications or no higher ed, they have very limited opportunities anyway, although they could perhaps set up their own business.

Show quote history

Do you run your own business? You mention setting up a business like it’s a feasible option to a full time job. Setting up a business is often only possible with a bit of cash in the bank.

My posts are negative because it’s bloody tough for people at the moment and pretending it isn’t doesn’t help anyone.

WhatNextImScared · Today 06:50

IDontHateRainbows · Yesterday 07:43

Depressingly I put my salary now and compared it to my salary 10 years ago and although I'm earning 50% more now as a manager I've made barely any headway in terms of what its actually worth with inflation factored in.

All that career grift and growth for no extra in real terms.

Exactly.

I’m earning the same as I did a decade ago although far more per hour as I’m now self employed and don’t work FT hours due to SEND kids. However what was extremely comfortable a decade ago is a real struggle now.

It’s so hard for everyone and for lots of reasons it’s very easy to get trapped in your circumstances . People need to give the OP a break

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